She’s dealing with a lot, too much probably. His questions must’ve brought back unpleasant memories. They were on the run, she might be charged with a murder she didn’t commit, and in a short span she’d been divorced, moved, and began a new relationship. When Daniel considered all the factors, he decided it was a miracle she wasn’t ripping her hair out in handfuls or staring catatonic at a wall somewhere. She’s handled all this shit better than I would. And I’d give a lot to help her deal.
Aloud, he asked, “Querida, what can I do?”
After a moment, Cecily lifted her head and offered him a small smile. Her posture didn’t relax and he’d swear she looked as if she would burst into tears any second. “Talk to me,” she said. “It’ll keep my mind off the thunder and rain. Tell me about you.”
Pleased he managed to evoke a response, Daniel said, “What’s there to tell? I’ve already shared what I do and where I live.”
“There’s so much I don’t know,” Cecily replied. “We’re going to your mother’s house. It’d be nice to find out about your family. All I know is your mom lives in El Paso, but you were brought up in Fort Worth and your dad died when you were a kid. I don’t even know if you have brothers or sisters.”
Where in the hell did he start, he wondered. With a sigh, he searched for something to say and plunged in with the first thing to surface. “I’m the oldest of five kids,” he said. “I have two sisters, two brothers. Sara, Anna, Tomas, and Michael. Mama moved to El Paso after we were all grown and gone to be closer to her sister, my aunt Rosa and to my grandmother, my dad’s mom in Mexico.”
“Five?” Cecily said with more interest than she’d shown since the storm began. “Are you serious?”
“Oh, yeah,” Daniel said. “My sisters are both married. Sara and her family live in Los Angeles now. Anna and her kids are in Shreveport. Tomas is in serving in the military, career Army and right now he’s stationed in Germany. Michael, the youngest, graduated in June with his Master’s degree. He’s going to teach at the University of Texas at Austin. I’ve got five nephews and three nieces so far. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
She shook her head with enough force to make her cornrows swing. “I’m a one and only, all that my mama ever produced. Nia’s the closest thing I ever had to a sister. Tell me some more.”
God, where did he start, he wondered. Did he share his earliest memories or tell her about when each of his siblings was born? Should he tell her about his first day of school or how he played football for his high school? Would Cecily care how hard his dad’s death impacted the family or that his mama went to work in a hospital laundry so they could eat? Rain drummed with renewed force on the truck’s top as memories flooded his mind.
Daniel dropped his speed another ten miles per hour because he couldn’t see more than two feet ahead. “On rainy days,” he said. “Mama used to make popcorn for us all. She did it as long as I can remember. We didn’t have a hot air popper so she made it on the stove with a skillet and lid. If anyone else tried to make it, they usually burned it, but mama never did. She used real melted butter with a dash of salt until it tasted perfect, better than what they sell at the movies, better than any of the microwave crap. One day she’d popped up a huge batch for us and we were watching some cartoons on our old television. I was twelve and Michael was almost two. We were laughing at the Road Runner, I remember, when the phone rang. None of the little kids paid any attention, but I got a bad feeling in my belly. I turned around and watched my mama. When I saw a tear run down her face, saw her hands shaking, I knew it must be something terrible and it was.” Remembering gave him the same heavy sensation in his stomach.
Cecily stared at him, eyes wide and lips open. “It was the day your daddy got hurt at the stockyards,” she said. It wasn’t a question. She’d remembered what he told her the night they stargazed.
“Si,” Daniel said. “It was. After that, everything changed. Uncle Juan came to drive Mama to the hospital and she told me to watch the kids. A week later, my dad died from his injuries. I saw him one time, before, and I knew he wouldn’t make it. After that, Mama went to work, I took care of the kids a lot, and we ate a lot of frijoles. None of us laughed so hard for a long time and I didn’t eat popcorn again for years.”
Cecily slid across the seat beside him. Her hand rested on his leg. “I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said.
“De nada,” he replied. “It was a long time ago now and things got better after a while. My mama and I bonded back then. The little kids—I shouldn’t call them that, they’re all grown up—looked up to me almost like a daddy, especially Michael. I did the best I could.”
“Sugar, I know you did,” she said. “I didn’t mean to make you sad. Tell me something happy you remember now.”
Daniel noticed she’d relaxed and her face, as she turned toward him, lost the tense expression. To calm her fears, to keep the look on her face caring and without fear, he’d cut out his heart and slice it for her. “Sure,” he said. “We had plenty of good times. On my sixth birthday, my parents had a party for me with all the family, aunts, uncles, dozens of cousins, grandparents, friends from school, and neighbors. Someone brought in a little pony for me to ride and my mom has a picture of me on it. If you ask her, she’ll show it to you. We had cake and ice cream and the biggest piñata ever. I busted it on the third swing, too.”
Cecily laughed. “I want to see that picture.”
“You will, querida,” he promised. “If my mother has her way you’ll see more than just one. Be careful or she’ll show you all the picture albums.”
His lady leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’d like to see them, Daniel.”
“Then you will,” he said.
Within a few minutes they rolled through Wichita Falls and although the rain diminished a little, it still came down too thick and fast for him to point out anything but the Red River when they crossed over it. He would’ve liked her to see the Native American statues near the river, but it could keep until another time. Three and a half hours, probably four with the weather until they stopped for the night and his weary body told him he’d be more than ready to end their travels for the day.
Conversation kept Cecily calmer and as they traveled west on Highway 82 toward Lubbock, the rain stopped. Daniel shared more childhood moments and moved on to his college years at San Marcos. Cecily chimed in with a few memories of her own and he enjoyed listening to her tell about old times.
Once the sun emerged from a bank of clouds with a burst of early evening glory, she gasped at the beauty of the wide open plains. “It’s lovely,” she exclaimed.
Amused, although he agreed with her opinion, Daniel laughed. “This is part of the Llano Estacado,” he said. “A lot of people find it desolate. There’s not much out here except for farms and ranches. Some people describe it as eighty-five percent sky, fifteen percent grass.”
Her hand trailed up to touch his fingers on the steering wheel. “But you like it, too, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do,” he said. Daniel didn’t know how to begin to describe his deep feelings for this land or the sense of kinship it evoked. His maternal great-grandmother, a tough woman who didn’t quite top five feet in height, had been born out here somewhere during the Comanche’s last period of freedom. “I’m connected to this land.”
“Tell me.”
So he did. “I’m part Comanche,” he said. “My mom’s grandmother was Comanche and the Llano Estacado was part of the Comancheria. I’m descended from several different peoples, but there are times I feel connected to one over another. Most of the time, I’m just a Texan with some Mexican roots but out here, I identify with the Comanche warriors.”
“Did you know her, your great-grandmother?”
“I met her once,” he said. “I wasn’t very old, but I remember it. She was ancient, her skin so brown and wrinkled she didn’t even look alive until I saw her eyes. They were as alive, vital, and bright as anyone’s and we connected, somehow. I
can’t explain it.”
“You’re lucky,” Cecily said, her voice matter-of-fact. “You’ve got a family history and you know it.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“I don’t,” she said. “Oh, I know my mama and her parents and a little about them. My great-grandparents left Georgia and sharecropping to come to Chicago for work. That’s about all I know about them. I don’t even know my father’s name, let alone where he came from or who he was. If my mama knew, she didn’t say and I never asked.”
Daniel said nothing, unsure of what to say. Family meant everything in his world and although he might not see his mother or siblings often, he knew their ties were unbreakable. Before he could summon up words, she asked, “Can I call Nia when we get to Lubbock? I’d like to make sure everything’s okay.”
“Of course,” he said. “Your throwaway phone shouldn’t be easy to trace if it can be at all. I don’t mind if you keep in touch, Cecily. I want you to have peace of mind.”
“Good,” she said. “I will, then. For now, let’s enjoy this beautiful country.”
The hours passed faster than he could’ve imagined as they shared the wild, untamed wonder of the region. Most of the way, the highway remained two-lane and time seemed to have come to a standstill somewhere in the late 1950s. They met little traffic until they came closer to Lubbock and by then, the sun streamed through the western sky. The city came into view far ahead in the distance and the closer they came, the heavier the traffic. Daniel skirted around the worst concentrations and kept an eye out for a suitable motel. He wanted something upscale enough to offer a few amenities including a comfortable king size bed and an onsite restaurant with decent food.
Although he wasn’t as familiar with Lubbock as he might’ve liked, he found a Holiday Inn located on the 289 loop, situated near the Pyramid Plaza. Daniel pulled in and they went into the lobby together. After hours on the road, his right leg ached deep in the tissue from an old injury, a gunshot wound and he favored it enough to create a slight limp. He didn’t think about it until he saw the puzzled frown Cecily wore. She said nothing, though, as he booked a room for a single night. He paid with cash which created a stir and required an additional deposit, but he didn’t want to leave a trail the FBI could pick up.
“Go on up to the room,” he said as he handed her the card key. “I’ll bring up our gear.”
“All right,” Cecily said. He watched her gaze shift to his leg.
Ten minutes later, after moving the truck to a guest parking slot, he knocked on the door. Behind him, the luggage trolley carried their few bags. She opened it and moved back to let him enter the large room. A king size bed rested against one wall, but Daniel noted a sofa, a work desk, a large television, and an armchair where she sat. “Looks nice enough,” he commented. “Is it all right?”
“Its fine, sugar,” Cecily said. “But are you?”
“I’m okay.”
Her quizzical expression told him she didn’t believe him. “What’s wrong with your leg?”
“Nothing,” he said. Daniel didn’t like to think about the injury. He hadn’t worked for the bureau long when it happened and he blamed himself for being shot. He endured a long recovery and managed to regain full use of his leg, something doctors failed to predict. After eight years, he seldom had any problem, but if he sat in one position for too long, the pain often returned along with the limp.
“You’re limping.” She stated the obvious. “You weren’t before.”
He sighed. “I am, a little, but it’s no big deal.”
“You’re in pain.” It wasn’t a question but an observation.
“A little,” he admitted. “I got shot a long time ago and healed just fine. Once in a while if I’m really tired and don’t keep it stretched out, I limp. It’ll be gone by tomorrow morning after I get some rest. Don’t worry. I’m good.”
Cecily uncurled from the chair and walked to him. “I can’t help it, Daniel. I don’t like to see you hurting. Would it help if I rubbed it or anything?”
Her concern moved him and he touched her cheek with one hand. “Probably not, querida. I’ll take some ibuprofen and we’ll go downstairs, get something to eat.”
She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around him, and cuddled up against him. Daniel held her, loving the way she fit into him embrace. “Okay,” she said. “Just hold me for a minute, would you?”
He’d hold this woman forever and past if he could. “Sure.” Even with his leg aching and his body exhausted, his cock stirred with interest at her proximity. If I start now, we’ll never eat and I’m hungry. Daniel put his desire on hold. Both needed some sustenance and he sure as hell wouldn’t mind a drink or two. Tequila would dull the pain quicker than ibuprofen and after the long drive, he’d earned it. After a few minutes, he released her and starting digging through the luggage to find the pain reliever.
Cecily located them and handed him the bottle. “Can I give Nia a quick call before we go eat?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
To provide privacy he headed into the bathroom, but he left the door ajar and eavesdropped without any shame. Without any noise distraction, Daniel heard the series of beeps as she dialed the number and listened.
“Hey,” Cecily said. “It’s me. How’s everything going?”
Each pause indicated her cousin’s response and he wished he could hear those too but settled for Cecily’s end of the conversation. “Uh-huh. How did it go at Pink Neon? Well, that’s good. Really? Why? Well, what did you tell her? No, I’d rather keep it between us. Oh, yeah, we’re tight. Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow sometime. Call me if you need too, hear? All right then. Bye.”
Daniel popped six tablets and washed them down with water. He came out of the bathroom to find Cecily changing into a fresh blouse. “How’s everything up in Branson?”
After she pulled the fire engine red blouse into place, she replied. “So far, so good, I guess. Nia’s mom called her, asked about me.”
Some wariness in her voice warned him it was unusual. “And that’s strange?”
“Well, kinda,” Cecily said. “I don’t have any quarrel with my aunties, not Nia’s mother or my other aunt, but I haven’t heard much from either one of them after I got married. Nia’s the only family who kept up with me.”
In his experience, odd things usually were harbingers of disaster. “Did she tell her where you’re at?”
“No, just that I’d left town for a few days.”
Damn, even that might be enough to send red flags flying. He resisted the urge to curse loud and long. And he tried to be casual in case it wasn’t anything of concern. “And Pink Neon’s still standing?”
The mention of her store brought a smile. “Yeah, she said business was pretty good.”
“That’s great. Let’s go eat.”
****
They dined in the Park Place Cafe downstairs, a simple meal but nourishing. Daniel ordered a shot of tequila, served with a lime wedge and salt. He downed the drink, then ate enough to stay balanced. Afterward, they headed upstairs and although it should be midnight by his tired level, he noticed it was just a little before nine. Between the hot meal, the liquor, and the ibuprofen, his leg eased back to near normal.
Once they were in the room, Cecily put down her purse and kicked off her shoes. “What now, sugar?” she asked.
“Te quiero,” he said, then repeated himself in English because he remembered she spoke nothing but the most basic Spanish. “I want you.”
Until Cecily lifted her head to meet his gaze, he wasn’t sure she felt the same. Sixteen plus hours on the road might leech the passion from anyone and if she’d said ‘no’, he would deal. Although at this point, he might need to seek a little solitude to relieve the pressure in his loins. But her dark eyes latched onto his and he realized her need equaled his own.
“’Bout damn time, sugar,” she said, her voice breathless and smooth.
Daniel didn’t know who moved first, but in an instant th
ey were in each other’s arms, her hands soothing and moving over his body. He locked his mouth down onto hers with hungry need. Flavors of the meal they’d just shared lingered on her lips and she tasted sweet to him.
Beneath his, her mouth yielded to him and yet gave back, too. Heat shimmered between them, heavy with passion and as electric as the lightning streaking the sky earlier. He’d meant to go slow and gentle, soft and patient, but the kiss ignited an erotic flame. Want consumed him and he kissed harder, using his tongue to part her lips. His hands peeled away her blouse and unfastened the silky bra underneath.
Cecily undid his buttons with such speed more than one of them hit the carpet with a tiny ping sound and he wiggled out of the shirt. Before he could reach for hers, she unzipped his jeans and started pulling them down. When her hands brushed against his swelling dick, tingling pleasure shot through him and he hardened with speed.
He undid her pants and removed them, his hands lingering on her skin. Daniel backed her to the huge bed and without bothering to turn down the sheets he put her on her back, lovely and nude. His fingers stroked her dusky skin, a shade not so different than his own light brown tone although the ethnic origins differed. Her breasts fit into his hands and he touched them with desire and marveled at how pretty they were. Rosebud nipples, surprisingly pink, perked up at his touch and blossomed. Daniel caressed her curves, the slight swell of her otherwise flat belly, and her muscular thighs. Cecily used her nails to scratch his back in a tantalizing way. He kissed her again, swift and thorough before shifting his mouth to suckle her nipples one at a time.
Heat wafted from the cleft between her legs as he reached it. He began by stroking her outer lips with a firm yet gentle motion. Cecily moaned in response, low and full-bodied, and he inserted two fingers into her cunt. He lightened his touch but stroked and probed until he hit her g spot. In response, her hands gripped hard around his waist and held tight as he brought her pleasure. Although he thought about using his tongue, he decided he couldn’t wait. His stiff cock begged for release and so he pulled up, supported on both arms as he entered her with one fluid motion. He slid into her with ease, her waiting pussy eager to receive and he pumped back and forth in a rhythm older than time. She locked her legs around his torso and thrust to pull him deeper.
Pink Neon Dreams Page 16
